Generally, an area network group comprises a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN) and a wide area network (WAN). With increasing development of science and technology, the area network group further comprises a universal plug and play (UPnP) group and a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). For example, the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is an alliance organization that is composed by the manufacturers of consumer electronics products, mobile phones and computers. The DLNA is responsible for defining unified transmission specifications to allow a variety of products from different manufacturers to be connected and communicated with each other. Consequently, a first electronic device and a second electronic device that comply with the DLNA protocol can be in direct communication with each other in order to transfer data or make synchronization actions.
First of all, some DLNA architectures will be illustrated as followed. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a first conventional DLNA architecture. As shown in FIG. 1, the first conventional DLNA architecture 1 comprises a network router 10, a digital media server (DMS) 11, and a digital media player (DMP) 12. The network router 10 is connected to an internet (not shown). In addition, the network router 10 is in communication with the digital media server 11 and the digital media player 12. Consequently, the communication between the digital media server 11 and the digital media player 12 is established through the network router 10. A media file 15 is stored in the digital media server 11. The media file 15 is for example an audio file, an image file or a video file. After the digital media player 12 is in communication with the digital media server 11, the digital media player 12 may search the media file 15 from the digital media server 11. After the media file 15 is selected by the user through the digital media player 12, the media file 15 is transmitted from the digital media server 11 to a temporary memory 121 of the digital media player 12. After the media file 15 is received by the digital media player 12, the media file 15 that is temporarily stored in the temporary memory 121 can be played by the digital media player 12.
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a second conventional DLNA architecture. As shown in FIG. 2, the second conventional DLNA architecture 2 comprises a network router 20, a digital media server (DMS) 21, and a digital media renderer (DMR) 23. The communication between the digital media server 21 and the digital media renderer 23 is established through the network router 20. The digital media server 21 is used for storing a media file 25. In addition, the digital media server 21 further provides a control function of controlling operations of the digital media renderer 23. The digital media renderer 23 is used for receiving and playing the media file 25 that is transmitted from the digital media server 21. After the control function of the digital media server 21 is utilized to select the stored media file 25 from the digital media server 21, the media file 25 is transmitted from the digital media server 21 to the digital media renderer 23. Consequently, the media file 25 can be played by the digital media renderer 23.
FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a third conventional DLNA architecture. As shown in FIG. 3, the third conventional DLNA architecture 2 comprises a network router 30, a digital media server (DMS) 31, a digital media renderer (DMR) 33, and a digital media controller (DMC) 34. The communication between the digital media server 31, the digital media renderer 33 and the digital media controller 34 is established through the network router 30. The digital media server 31 is used for storing a media file 35. The digital media renderer 33 is used for receiving and playing the media file 35 that is transmitted from the digital media server 31. The digital media controller 34 provides a control function. After the control function of the digital media controller 34 is utilized to select the stored media file 35 from the digital media server 31, the media file 35 is transmitted from the digital media server 31 to the digital media renderer 33. Consequently, the media file 35 can be played by the digital media renderer 33.
As mentioned above, the digital media server, the digital media controller, the digital media renderer and the digital media player that are included in the same network domain and comply with the DLNA protocol may transfer or play media files through the network router. The digital media server and the digital media renderer may be referred as passive electronic devices that can be controlled. Moreover, the digital media controller and the digital media player may be referred as active electronic devices that can control the passive electronic devices. For example, a user in a living room may allow a mobile phone to be connected to a computer host in a study room. Moreover, through the mobile phone, the user may browse the audio files in the computer and select a desired audio file from the computer. Then, the selected audio file is transmitted from the mobile phone to a stereo device in the living room. After the audio file is received by the stereo set, the audio file is played by the stereo device. Consequently, the purposes of conveniently and quickly sharing media contents can be achieved.
The above method of sharing media contents is not only applied to the same area network group. When the user intends to connect an external active electronic device to the network area, the user has to previously input the internal network communication address data and the connecting port data of the passive electronic device into the network router of the area network group through manual settings. After the manual settings are completed, the user may issue a control command to the network router of the area network group according to the internet communication address data of the network router and the connecting port data of the passive electronic device to be controlled. Moreover, the network router issues the control command to the passive electronic device according to the connecting port data of the passive electronic device. Consequently, the passive electronic device executes a corresponding controlled task according to the control command.
However, the method of manually inputting associated data into the network router through manual settings may result in two drawbacks. Firstly, it is difficult for most users to realize the internet communication address data, the internal network communication address data and the connecting port data. Consequently, the method of manually inputting associated data through manual settings is very complicated to most users. Generally, the setting procedure has to be performed by the professional engineers. Secondly, if a passive electronic device is newly added to the area network group or a passive electronic device in the area network group is turned off, the user has to manually add or delete the internal network communication address data and the connecting port data of the passive electronic device again. The way of repeatedly performing the manual setting procedure is not user-friendly.
Therefore, there is a need of providing an area network system and a network connection method without manual settings.